


Beer Raids ~Zero First~

by chaineddove



Series: Zero Series [1]
Category: Loveless
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-04-24
Updated: 2006-04-24
Packaged: 2017-10-28 11:47:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/307562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaineddove/pseuds/chaineddove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As long as they have each other, nothing else matters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beer Raids ~Zero First~

They raided Soubi’s refrigerator the first time he actually bothered to go to class, dragged along by his occasional roommate. In the refrigerator they found leftovers and the inevitable carton or two of beer. Despite (or because of) the occasional roommate’s horrified reaction the first time he had caught them at it, they continued raiding the refrigerator for the beer. Youji had pointed out, his eyes very wide and his most innocent expression on his face, that there was nothing _else_ in the house and they were _hungry_. The occasional roommate had bitched at Soubi for neglecting them (but probably more for the opportunity to get Soubi’s eyes on him for awhile than out of genuine concern) and brought them shabu-shabu. For his innocent eyes which had brought them dinner Youji had been rewarded with Natsuo pouncing him out of the blue in the empty kitchen during the next day’s beer raid. They had grappled on the floor awhile, spilled two cans of beer, left a sticky mess on the floor, a scratch across Youji’s cheek and a bite mark on Natsuo’s neck, and generally felt very satisfied with themselves when Soubi scolded them and made them wash the floor. He didn’t scold as hard as they had expected, anyway, because Soubi was weird.

In general, they didn’t understand Soubi half the time. Some of the things he did were as normal to them as they were alien to the occasional roommate. Certainly Soubi coming home battered and bloody was in the general run of things, though Natsuo stated scornfully that it was shameful that _they_ were cleaning him up, and Youji’s eyes burned with rare disgust as he pointed out that no decent Sacrifice would _ever_ leave his Fighter in such a state. But of course, Soubi and Loveless made no sense, either. Loveless himself was small and scared and not at all suited to whatever Nagisa-sensei and Ritsu-sensei and just about everyone else expected out of him. So Soubi fought on his own, because his Sacrifice was too weak, and they licked his wounds for him, for which he allowed them to raid his refrigerator and splash soapy water all over his bathroom.

They ran the water blisteringly hot, watching their skin turn a painful red when they submerged themselves with the same sort of detached curiosity which had caused Natsuo to lose his eye to one of Youji’s experiments a few years ago. They emptied full bottles of shampoo under the tap to make an overflow of bubbles. Water sloshed onto the floor, making the tiles dangerously slick when they climbed out. Natsuo once found some trendy magazine belonging, he assumed, to the occasional roommate. He had read it for awhile because it annoyed Youji, then made a face and promptly drowned it after Youji’s leg poked at it one time too many. Because honestly, Youji’s leg was more interesting than what he had been reading, and if Youji really wanted a dunking, Natsuo was more than glad to try his very best to drown him.

The magazine’s ink had run all over the bathtub by the time they had fished it out and drained the water. Soubi scolded then, too, but not very hard. Mostly, he just told them to clean up after themselves, and commented that Natsuo was getting some impressive swelling in his wrist, and it was probably sprained. Natsuo, his hair still soggy and tangled around his face, had only laughed and punched Youji playfully with the sprained wrist, just to show that he didn’t care. Neither of them punched Soubi, generally. Who knew what he would do?

Natsuo let Youji brush his hair out for him after they had cleaned up, though it had nothing to do with his wrist. It curled and tangled helplessly after getting wet, and Natsuo nearly purred as Youji yanked the comb forcefully through the tangles, ripping them loose. The occasional roommate, watching with a look of growing disturbance on his face, informed Soubi that he was harboring little barbarians, or perhaps a pair of wild animals. Youji snapped back that it took one to know one, while Natsuo managed something which sounded very much like mumbled thanks, though no one could be sure because a moment later he wrested the comb from Youji’s grip, announcing that he wasn’t brushing nearly hard enough. Soubi smiled over the stove where he was making dinner and said that he found them entertaining. Youji demanded that Soubi throw him a beer, since he was up. Soubi told him to get it himself. The occasional roommate stormed out in disgust. Soubi’s cell phone rang, and he followed, warning them to turn off the stove when the timer beeped. They got smashingly drunk, forgot the timer, and nearly burned down the building. Soubi scolded, they laughed, they cleaned, the occasional roommate brought more beer as an apology the next day, the process was more or less repeated.

The days blurred together, a haze of beer and teasing and play fighting which ended in bruises, scratches, antiseptic, and carefree laughter. They didn’t talk of where they had come from and they tried not to think very hard about where they were going. There was only this place for them now, but at least there was beer and hot water and bubbles and several fascinating containers of paint if they were in the mood to really tear the place up. It would be stupid to worry, but Natsuo did — Youji knew, because when Natsuo curled against him and mimicked sleep, his breathing wasn’t quiet and regular enough. Natsuo worried about everything and Youji mostly worried about Natsuo. _They didn’t take us away from each other,_ he wanted to say. _So everything’s all right._

Loveless didn’t understand at all. It wasn’t about ears or the lack of them, it wasn’t about curling up with your heads on the same pillow, or being strangled by someone else’s long hair in the mornings. It was just… there. They were Zero first, Natsuo and Youji second. If they answered to those names, it was only because people felt the need to tell them apart, even though really, they were one and the same. When they were tangled together on the bed Soubi occasionally turned over to them, they breathed as one. Their steps naturally lined up on the street. Their ears twitched in unison when something disturbed them. Their eyes got the same glazed look when they raided Soubi’s supply of beer, and when their lips met the taste was familiar and comforting. Somehow, they didn’t see it being that way for Loveless and Soubi. Then again, Loveless and Soubi were so painfully out of sync, it was surprising one or both of them wasn’t dead yet. Sheer stubbornness—they could respect that.

“They’re creepy, Sou-chan,” the occasional roommate once said in hushed tones, clearly thinking them asleep while they sprawled exhausted on Soubi’s bed.

Their ears swiveled back as one to catch the comment, and without bothering to lift their heads, they murmured in unison, “You’re just jealous.”


End file.
